The Mariners have claimed right-hander Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Red Sox, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. It was reported earlier this week that Ort had been placed on outright waivers. The M’s will need to make a corresponding move to make room for Ort on their 40-man roster.
Ort, 31, tossed 23 innings for the Red Sox this year with a 6.26 earned run average. His 22.4% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate were both fairly close to average, but he allowed six home runs in that time. He landed on the injured list in July due to right elbow inflammation and never returned. The Sox were going to have to reinstate him from the 60-day injured list soon since it doesn’t exist between the World Series and Spring Training, but they decided instead to put him on waivers.
It seems the Mariners are intrigued enough to take a chance, despite the ERA. Ort has generally fared better in the minors, including a 3.09 ERA in his 131 Triple-A innings. The Mariners will see if they can help him have better results at the major league level, perhaps with their pitcher-friendly ballpark helping minimize the home run issue. The righty also has an option year remaining and has yet to reach arbitration.